Cape Town - A biodiversity offset agreement between EIMS Africa/Umoya Energy Wind Farm and SANParks, which made the farm part of the West Coast National Park (WCNP) as part of a broader conservation area, has resulted in positive environmental impacts on the land as well as the local community.
This public/private partnership was the first of its kind in the country’s energy sector at the time and its decade of success was revealed in a recent report by the Global Environment Fund and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) South Africa Country Office.
SANParks spokesperson Lauren Howard-Clayton said the initial environmental impact assessment for the development of the Umoya Energy Wind Farm required that a portion of land be made available for conservation; this was the farm’s conservation area that was declared part of the WCNP and managed by Umoya and SANParks.
“Since signing the original memorandum of understanding in 2012, EIMS Africa has actively engaged and collaborated with SANParks to ensure that the conservation area has been effectively managed to eradicate alien vegetation and restore the land to its original natural biodiverse state,” said EIMS Africa and the Umoya Energy Wind Farm CEO Ryan Hammond.
Howard-Clayton said the objectives of their agreement included proper management of the conservation area, inclusion of the conservation area into the WCNP, development and upliftment of people from the local communities, which included the development of business skills, subsequent job creation, and effective and integrated alien plant clearing.
“This innovative thinking has resulted in a number of tangible wins, including the restoration of the natural biodiversity, a reduction in the risk of veld fires and a number of direct benefits to the local community, including skills development, local employment and local enterprise development,” said Hammond.
Howard-Clayton said contractors were used to do extensive alien vegetation clearing from the site and in certain cases new contractors from Hopefield were trained for these employment opportunities and now lead teams of 40 people to carry out the work needed.
“The inclusion of the property also allowed for the inclusion of a portion of the Salt River into the park, adding to the Freshwater Ecosystems of the park,” said Howard-Clayton.